Model R: Next Tesla Roadster

Clean TechnologyNicholas BrownTuesday, November 13, 2012

Tesla Motors started off by selling only one vehicle, the two-seated Tesla Roadster, which accelerated from zero to sixty mph in an impressive 3.9 seconds, and changed many peoples’ perception of electric vehicles. That model has been discontinued (it can be traded in now), but the company (of course) didn’t stop there.

Tesla expanded and offered the Model S, as well as the Roadster Sport (which accelerates from zero to sixty mph in 3.7 seconds). The company intends to offer a “Model X” in the future, and now word on the street is that the following vehicle from the electric car leader will be the Model R.

The Model R is actually going to be a rehash of the Tesla Roadster. The original Roadster had a range of 244 miles per charge, and a top speed which was electronically limited to 125 mph. 125 mph sounds low, but that is above pretty much all speed limits, so it doesn’t matter, because you can’t drive any car at 125 mph almost anyplace you fo. The Model R is supposed to be even faster than the Tesla Roadster (no surprise there).
The more vehicles Tesla offers, the less of a niche brand it becomes. This has benefits, but also comes at a cost. It may not necessarily work out for the company.

Focusing on one car may yield better results than spreading oneself thin designing many. Although, the design challenges associated with making the Model S affordable may teach the company how to make even its high-end cars more cost-competitive with the competition.